The Graduate School is delighted to be introducing a series of prizes to recognise the excellence of its postgraduate researchers and the outstanding work carried out by our academic and administrative staff members in support of postgraduate research and education.

The Graduate School Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
• Research Degree Supervisor (one per Faculty)
• School Director of Graduate Studies
• Administrator working in support of postgraduate education and/or research
• Postgraduate Research Prize (one per Faculty)

Each prize will be in the sum of £500 and will take the form of a transfer to the winner’s school, centre or departmental budget for the 2018/19 financial year. The funds can be used for:
• Travel and subsistence in relation to research including conference fees, books, consumables, survey costs or any other cost that can be shown to relate to their research
• Staff development courses and related travel and subsistence costs

The prizes will be announced and presented at the Postgraduate Research Festival Launch Event on 18 June 2018 followed by a celebratory dinner, and the deadline for applications is 30 April 2018.

Please visit the webpage for full criteria and application information, and do not hesitate to contact the Graduate School with any queries: graduateschool@kent.ac.uk.

Congratulations to Professor Paul Allain, Dean of the Graduate School, for being chosen as the recipient of the Witkacy Prize for his ongoing work promoting Polish theatre abroad. The Polish Section of the International Theatre Institute announced the award on 27 March, World Theatre Day.

The Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy) Prize has been awarded by the Polish Section of the International Theatre Institute since 1983, and the prestigious award is given to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievement promoting Polish theatre on an international scale. An expert on Polish Theatre, Professor Paul Allain has been invited to take part in an upcoming theatre festival in Poland to mark the award.

In addition to his role as the Dean of the Graduate School, Professor Paul Allain is a Professor of Theatre and Performance at the University’s School of Arts, where he continues to supervise PhD students from around the world. Professor Paul Allain is the co-founder of the European Theatre Research Network and is author and editor of many works on Polish theatre, most recently as co-editor of the 2015 book Voices from Within: Grotowski’s Polish Collaborators.

Read the University announcement of Professor Paul Allain’s achievement here.

GambleAware has announced that it will fund a new PhD project to boost Great Britain’s problem gambling research capacity.

The funder would particularly welcome proposals related to the following areas:

• Anthropology
• Community development studies
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) management studies
• Counselling and psychotherapy
• Economics
• Health studies
• Law and regulation
• Neurology
• Political science
• Psychology
• Public or social policy
• Social geography
• Social marketing studies
• Social sciences, including sociology
• Computing and technology.

The timetable is as follows:

• Call for applications published March 2018
• Deadline for written applications 31 May 2018
• Interviews June 2018
• Award made by 30 June 2018
• PhD commences Autumn 2018

Anyone interested in applying should view the application process here: https://about.gambleaware.org/media/1695/phd-call-2018.pdf or send any queries by email to commissioning@gambleaware.org.

Supervisors and applicants are welcome to contact the Graduate School if they require assistance with the application: graduateschool@kent.ac.uk

The University of Kent has been shortlisted in both the Postgraduate and International categories of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs) 2018. The WUSCAs celebrate the best in higher education, and universities are selected based on student feedback submitted via Whatuni.com. This year marks the awards fifth year, and the winners will be announced in April 2018.

Congratulations to the University of Kent for being shortlisted for two of the fifteen categories!

Read the news article here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/kentlife/17324/university-shortlisted-for-two-student-choice-awards

Deborah Molloy, a member of the Graduate School team, has been named the International Women’s Day competition winner by the Transatlantic Literary Women team for her ‘fascinating and informative piece on Canadian author, Margaret Atwood.’

You can read the official announcement and Deborah’s piece here: https://transatlanticladies.wordpress.com/2018/03/08/international-womens-day-competition-winner/

Deborah joined the Graduate School in November 2014 and began a part-time PhD in 20th Century American Women’s Literature in September. Congratulations to Deborah on this accomplishment from the Graduate School team!

Paul Allain, Dean of the Graduate School, recently visited the University of Kent at Athens to welcome the new cohort of MA in Heritage Management students in Elefsina. In addition to extending a warm welcome to the students at their induction, the dean gave a lecture on his latest research, spoke with students about the specifics of their course and detailed the various means of support provided by the Graduate School to all Kent postgraduates.

“I was pleased to see what a diverse international cohort we have from a range of backgrounds and experiences…it was very helpful to see the centre and the facilities as well as the nearby historic excavation site and ruins.”

To find out more about what is offered by the University of Kent at Athens, please visit: https://www.kent.ac.uk/locations/athens/

Deborah Molloy, a member of the Graduate School team, has been awarded the Elsa Nettels Prize for a Beginning Scholar from the Edith Wharton Society. She won the prize for her paper entitled: “In the Cave of the Oracle: Feminine Tragedy in The House of Mirth and Mrs Manstey’s View.” In addition to winning the £250 prize, the essay will be considered for publication in the Edith Wharton Review. Deborah begins a part-time PhD in 20th Century American Women’s Literature in September 2017, and the Graduate School would like to congratulate Deborah on this incredible accomplishment as she continues her postgraduate education!